


Josephine's Candle

by BecauseDawn



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition, dragon - Fandom
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-22
Updated: 2014-11-22
Packaged: 2018-02-26 13:41:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2654087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BecauseDawn/pseuds/BecauseDawn





	Josephine's Candle

Josephine liked to be seen with her writing board in one hand. People looked at it and thought, “how industrious she is,” or better, “Is she writing something about me?”

If a room was dimly lit, and they often were, she would mount a lit candle on the board. Others did this, not many true, but enough that it was not an unusual sight. What was unusual was that the candle lacked a glass guard, the bowl-shaped device that slipped onto a candle to catch wax drips.

That was what made people watch the candle instead of Josephine.

She would talk and as she talked she’d move the board with her hand, rocking it, raising it, dropping it; all done casually as if without a thought. Those she was talking to would find themselves distracted, glancing at the candle or the paper, watching for the wax to drip on Josephine’s work. Meanwhile, the diplomat would carry on the discussion, watching their faces and listening to the words they choose. In those moments when they were caught in the drama of the candle, they were unguarded and reactions and impressions they never meant to share would slip loose.

Once in a while a bit of wax would splash onto Josephine’s paper. The person might smile and look up thinking they had caught the woman in a moment of carelessness. They would meet her eyes and their smile would wilt as they saw a look of triumph.

A drop of wax never fell unless Josephine had found what she was after. And a drop of wax never fell unless she wanted the other person to know that.


End file.
